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Stansted Airport Celebrates 20 Years

The Essex airport was officially opened by Her Majesty the Queen on March 15th, 1991.

More than 250 million people have used the Essex airport since it first opened in 1991.

Over the past two decades more than 2.5 million flights have passed through the Lord Foster designed structure.

The terminal's also played host to a variety of events and celebrities including Hollywood films, TV programmes and adverts - there's even been a baptism in the terminal's chapel!

About The Airport

The glass and steel structure broke with tradition when it opened in March 1991, with departures and arrivals all on the same level.

1.25 million cubic metres of earth was extracted during construction to reduce the height of the building at its forecourt to just 15 metres and the building is virtually self heating for most of the winter.

Stansted Facts

* Stansted has a total floor space of 49,572 sq metres - the equivalent to nearly 7 Wembley pitches.
* There are 130 check-in desks and 1.44 km (1,440 metres) of baggage belt systems.
* Famous people filmed on location there include Michael Jackson, Essex actress Dame Helen Mirren, Tom Hanks, John Travolta, Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson and David Walliams.
* The likes of the Sugababes, S Club 7 and Westlife have used the airport to film music videos
* Scenes from movies such as Bridget Jones Diary, Sliding Doors, Wimbledon and Tomorrow Never Dies have been filmed at the airport.
* More than 140 of BAA's current 1,300 staff have worked at the airport for 20 years.

Nick Barton, Stansted’s Managing Director, marking the milestone, said: “Stansted’s iconic terminal building is a fantastic triumph for great British design and engineering and helped create a new era of innovative airport construction and style that still provides the inspiration for new terminal developments all over the world.

“The terminal is the centre piece of the modern Stansted, and we are all extremely proud that the Lord Foster building is still as good today as it was when Her Majesty the Queen opened it 20 years ago.

“Stansted is now firmly established as a truly international gateway and an integral part of the vibrant community we proudly sit within and serve. This is in no small way thanks to our superb terminal structure.

“With exactly 500 days to the start of the London 2012 Olympics, I fully expect Stansted to play a leading role in welcoming thousands of overseas visitors to the Games. I am very confident that thanks to the hard work of our dedicated staff and our excellent facilities, including brilliant terminal infrastructure, Stansted will create a fantastic first and last impression the UK can be proud of.”